


this fear of being loved, allegiance to the pain

by Randallion



Series: let your heart hear me [2]
Category: Archie Comics, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, I got a little carried away, Multi, Sorry Not Sorry, alternative ending, and this is really long, everyone is in love with betty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-18
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-09-25 10:15:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9815114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Randallion/pseuds/Randallion
Summary: Cheryl got whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. She doesn't know when it happened, but she wanted Betty Cooper. She had the good looks, the intelligence, the money, now she just needed the girl.Or, everyone is in love with Betty, and Cheryl is a natural born winner





	

Cheryl got whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. She always had the prettiest dresses as a little girl, and she had the newest, most expensive toys. All the other kids at school envied Cheryl and Jasom Blossom, they had everything that any child could want. They had the biggest cakes at their birthday parties, and they had the biggest group of friends. Cheryl remembers one party in particular, when she was turning ten. 

Her cake was taller than Cheryl herself, it was even taller than Jason who had many growth spurts over the summer. There were two cakes, one pink and purple with crystal belts around each tier, and one blue and green with sparklers running down two sides. Almost everyone in town was there, and Cheryl had beamed during the birthday song. She had a pile of presents on the table from friends and family, all wrapped in varying shades of pink, except for one. One of them was a pretty, sparkling gold.

Cheryl picked it up and smiled at people that passed her brightly, like her mother had taught her to do. She flipped the gift over to see if there was a card attached but there wasn't. Cheryl's leaf green eyes scanned the people at the party, looking for the person that left the gold gift. She rather liked the wrapping paper, even if it wasn't her favourite colour. She was startled when a smaller girl with curly blonde hair tied back with a pretty pink ribbon materialised in front of her, and she recognised the girl behind her. The other girl was taller, and her hair was a few shades darker than the younger girl, but Cheryl knew that it was Polly Cooper and her sister, Beth? Polly sat in front of Cheryl in class, and Cheryl thought she was a little bit quiet, but nice.

"Hi, my name is Betty, you're my sister's friend! Polly said that pink paper was your favourite, but I thought that the gold would make your hair shine really pretty" the little girl seemed to radiate energy and happiness. If Cheryl was correct, then Betty was only a year younger than her. Her mother always stressed the importance of knowing the townspeople in order to maintain connections.

"Sorry about her, Cheryl. I told you she didn't like gold, Betty" Polly hissed and glared at her younger sister, and Betty shifted, suddenly anxious, and stared down at her feet. Cheryl could see her eyes watering.

"I just thought that-" 

"I love gold. It's glittery and it makes my eyes stand out too. You should wear a purple ribbon in your hair, Betty, it will make your eyes pop and make your hair look shiny too" Cheryl smiled down at Betty, before turning her wide gaze to Polly. 

"You should be nicer to your sister, Polly. She's younger than you but smarter than you already. Maybe it's just a younger sibling thing, because I'm four minutes younger than Jason but I'm smarter than he is" Cheryl saw Polly narrow her eyes at her and lifted her chin in the air, daring the other girl to say something. Polly Cooper must be smarter than she looks, because she remained silent but stormed away, leaving her sister behind. 

"Wow! That was so cool! Polly is always so mean, and I know that I'm more clever and more pretty than she is because Mommy told her so! I'm not as pretty as you though! I want red hair like yours!" Betty said with a grin, even though one of her front teeth was missing. Cheryl subconsciously flipped her silky hair over her shoulder, and ran a finger over the velvet red headband in her hair. 

"Is gold your favourite colour now?" Betty asked, peering up at the older girl. Cheryl Blossom was so smart and so pretty, she seemed so much older than ten. _Yeah, it is now_ , Cheryl thought but she decided that she didn't want to give the girl too much hope.

"No, my favourite colour is still pink. Gold is nice though" Cheryl shrugged before Jason shouted her over to his friends, and Betty went to find her parents in the garden that was far too large for just one family. 

* * *

Cheryl doesn't know when it happened, but she wanted Betty Cooper. She had the good looks, the intelligence, the money, now she just needed the girl. 

Cheryl couldn't pinpoint exactly when she had started to fall for Betty, but she would put it at a few months after Jason's death. They had both lost a sibling, in a way, and Cheryl needed girl time with someone that understood her pain and her internal conflict, instead of a friend that only spent time with her because she was Cheryl Blossom, resident rich girl. 

It started small, almost minute. Cheryl stopped making comments about Betty's weight, and she started giving her a more prominent role on the squad when she realised that Betty was actually really good at cheerleading. She invited Betty to an exclusive pamper night at the Blossom mansion (see: Cheryl code for a sleepover), and she defended her newest friend with an ice cold ferocity that only Cheryl could pull off. 

If Cheryl had to think of the exact moment when she realised how she felt, it would be at Chuck Clayton's party. She shouldn't have been so surprised at her own makeover skills; she did everything with flawless precision. Betty wanted to stand out, and make a good impression on Archie Andrews, Cheryl suspected, so she decided that she would take it upon herself to give her new, and only true, friend a makeover just for the occasion. 

She took Betty's hair out of the drab ponytail that she always tied it up in, and curled the hair so it framed Betty's soft face. She bought Betty a brand new dress for the party, despite the other girl's protests. It was a navy blue, and it hugged every luscious curve that Betty liked to hide in those awful cardigans of hers. She paired the dress with nude heels and let Betty borrow (see: keep) some nice, simple jewellery to go with it. Betty didn't like to wear too much makeup, so Cheryl tried to apply as little as possible, opting for mascara, eyeliner, gold eyeshadow and plum lipstick. 

Cheryl stepped back from her masterpiece, and her legs felt slightly weak at the sight of Betty. She looked absolutely astonishing. Cheryl didn't know whether she wanted to grab Betty by the arm and show her off to the world, or completely undo all her beautiful work and lock her away so that no one would ever get to see her like this. 

Betty, whilst a little apprehensive at first, soon became much more confident. 

"Cheryl, this is amazing. I feel so- so" Betty struggled to find the word as she stared at her reflection in the mirror, Cheryl appeared beside her and thought that they made a stunning couple. Betty, in all her dark blue glory, and Cheryl in a little black dress that was pulled off of a fashion runway. They looked beautiful and terrifying all at once, and Cheryl knew all too well that this was a disarming combination for teenage boys. 

"Powerful?" Cheryl supplied and Betty nodded with a smile. Betty had never understood why Cheryl wore skin tight dresses and killer heels to school, but if she felt like this every day, Betty would never question her fashion choices again. 

"Come on, the car is waiting" Cheryl tugged on her arm and Betty immediately regretted letting Cheryl dress her when she felt the cold air on her bare arms and legs, but she braced herself against the soft wind and climbed into the car. 

Cheryl was always a showstopper when she arrived somewhere, and people always turned to look when they saw one of her cars pull up. Cheryl loved knowing that all eyes were on her, and she stepped out of the car first. Sure enough, she had everyone's attention, and Betty climbed out of the car at the wave of Cheryl's fingers. If people were staring before, they were unashamedly gawping now. 

Betty Cooper. Sweet, innocent, plain Betty Cooper had somehow been transformed into a beautiful, sexy Goddess like creature overnight. The boys were staring at the two of them, and Cheryl noticed some of the glares from the girls that Betty was getting. With one cold stare from Cheryl, they slunk back into the shadows, averting their eyes to their drinks. Cheryl flicked her hair over her shoulder and looped Betty's arm through hers, guiding the girl into the large house. 

"God damn! Betty Cooper, who knew? Do you-" Cheryl felt an irritated tug in her chest and she glared at the fumbling boy who was already drunk and was hovering over Betty, slinging an arm over her shoulder. Cheryl felt Betty tense up and clicked her fingers in front of the boy's face, making her presence known. 

"Go get us some drinks, Mike" Cheryl ordered with an air of undeniable authority and the boy immediately stepped away from the girls before furrowing his eyebrows. 

"My name is Miles" he corrected and Cheryl smiled. The tight lipped, half-glaring bitch smile that would freeze hell over. The smile that was reserved solely for people that Cheryl hated. 

"Right. _Miles_ " Cheryl drawled like his name was poison in her mouth, "Go get us some drinks" she ordered again, and anyone would notice the impatience in Cheryl Blossom's tone from a mile away, no matter how drunk they may be. The boy scuttled away in a hurry to get the girls a drink and Cheryl pulled Betty through to the living room. 

"You are undoubtedly the hottest girl in the room tonight, Elizabeth Cooper. Start using it to your advantage. Boys will fall over the feet to do anything you ask them to" Cheryl didn't mention that this was the last thing she wanted. She told herself that she was so used to boys falling over her and no one else. 

"I'm not like you, they won't listen to me" Betty shook her head. Cheryl had this air of superiority around her that made people too afraid to even look her in the eye. It wasn't just the look that commanded respect (or fear), it was the attitude. The attitude that sweet Betty Cooper did not have and could not fake. 

" _Make_ them listen" Cheryl said, taking the drinks from a nervous Miles without a glance in his direction. She handed Betty the red cup and took a large gulp of her own. She needed to loosen up, she couldn't be high strung and worried about Betty all night. To her delight, she didn't have to prompt Betty to drink, the girl was already taking large sips from her cup without hesitation. It seems Cheryl isn't the only one trying to relax. 

Cheryl spotted Josie, Melody and Val having a sing off with some Pembrooke girls in the kitchen and grinned. There is no way that the Pembrooke girls would stand a chance against the Pussycats. No one could harmonise better than her girls. Cheryl watched as Josie hit a perfect high note and felt pride swell in her chest. She and Josie had a fling the summer before last, and if there was one thing Cheryl missed about it, it was the way Josie would sing soft melodies to Cheryl when they were cuddling in bed. She still loved Josie, in her own way, but they were still the best of friends, and she had a plan to give the Pussycats a sponsorship deal to help them get started when they leave Riverdale. 

Cheryl turned to Betty, "I'm going to talk to Josie, are you coming with?" Betty smiled but shook her head, and Cheryl adored the way her curls bounced around her shoulders. 

"No, I'm going to find Ronnie, she said she was in the backyard. Tell Josie that my money is on her" Betty chuckled and Cheryl nodded, watching the girl's retreating figure. She didn't notice she was staring until she heard Josie shouting her name. 

"Get over here and cheer me on!" Josie had a glint in her eye and Cheryl smiled, smoothing out her hair and walking over. She threw a look of blatant distate to the Pembrooke girls and threw her arm around Josie's shoulders. 

"You are either naturally blonde or just plain stupid if you think you can take my girl on" Cheryl had to force thoughts of an astonishingly smart natural blonde out of her head when the Pembrooke girls sneered at her. 

"And you must be blind if you think that black is your colour" the blonde Pembrooke girl, the one that Cheryl assumes is the ringleader of their group, scoffed and turned her nose up at Cheryl, who smiled back coolly. 

"Black is not your colour either, but you still haven't fixed your roots" Cheryl clipped and the girl's eyes widened with hatred, her hands immediately flying up to her hair. Cheryl thought that if life was a cartoon, she would be blowing steam out of her nose like an angry bull. 

"Whatever, we're done hanging out with commoners" everyone in the immediate vicinity knew that Cheryl's family had more money than all four Pembrooke girls combined, but no one mentioned anything as she stormed off, her clique following closely behind. Josie high fived Cheryl. 

"Watching you shut someone down will never cease to entertain me" Melody laughed and Cheryl took a seat next to Josie on the couch and everyone went back to their conversations. When she knew that no one was listening, Josie turned her head and raised one eyebrow at Cheryl. 

"What is that look for?" Cheryl asked with a sultry smile. Josie looked good tonight, and Cheryl knew that it wouldn't take much sweet talking to make her ex come home with her for one night. She and Josie may not be dating, but they still hooked up occasionally, and Cheryl needed company tonight. Her mind pictured Betty in laying on her silk sheets, golden hair splayed out around her like a halo and a blinding grin on her face, but Cheryl forced the image from her mind, turning her attention back to Josie. 

"Cheryl, baby, you're so transparent" Josie knew, of course she knew. Aside from Jason, no one had ever known Cheryl better than her. 

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Maybe you should cut back on the rum and cokes, honey" Cheryl took the cup from Josie's hand and drank it in one go. Josie stared at her for a moment, as if one look would make Cheryl spill her heart onto the floor for everyone to see. 

"Whatever you say. I'm always here for, Cherry" Josie shrugged and Cheryl decided to change the topic to her investment into the band after graduation. Josie took the bait, and Val joined in the conversation. Melody was too busy flirting with a girl in their English class to notice. Despite what many people thought, Cheryl didn't actually like parties all that much. The music, drinking, dancing and drama was always fun, but the drunken, pushy boys and the people vomiting in every vase and the sweating bodies everywhere were too much for Cheryl. It took the fun out of it. 

Though, this party was an excuse for Cheryl to see Betty Cooper looking as stunningly hot as Cheryl always knew she could be. Betty had already let her give her a makeover once, Cheryl is sure that she convince her into another one, and another one, and another one. Cheryl wanted Betty to look that good everyday. Not just for her own benefit either. Cheryl knew that Betty had always been rather insecure, and she hated herself for contributing to that in the past, but looking like she did tonight gave her more confidence, and Cheryl just wanted Betty to see herself the way she does. That's what friends are for. 

Speaking of the angel, Betty stumbled into the living room where Cheryl was still sat with the Pussycats. Betty had lost her shoes at some point in the hour that she was apart from Cheryl, and she looked more drunk than Cheryl's grandmother after two bottles of wine at Christmas. 

"Sherl-" Betty slurred, slowly making her way to the red haired girl on the couch. Cheryl stood up and quickly grabbed Betty to support her when the other girl almost collapsed. Cheryl felt a spark of fury in her chest. Betty was obviously drunk, and she wanted to know which bonehead had given her so many drinks. She also noticed that Betty's plum lipstick was smudged around her mouth. 

"What have you been drinking, Betty?" Cheryl asked, guiding Betty to previous spot on the couch and ignoring Josie's pointed stare. 

"Me and Ronnie has a- had a cocktails, and then Reg took me into the kitchen and we're doing tequila shots" Betty's words didn't make much sense, and Cheryl knew that she was putting all of her effort into speaking right. Cheryl stiffened at the word 'tequila' and her head swivelled round when she heard Reggie's obnoxious shout. 

"Bets! Betty! Come on! We found the vodka!" Betty immediately jumped up at his words but she stood too quickly and collapsed again, Cheryl had to prop her up on her shoulder. Reggie came into view a moment later, holding a bottle of vodka and grinning like a school boy. 

"Cher! Wanna do shots with me and Bets? Lemme tell ya, she's a pro at body shots" Reggie smirked, and his eyes were half lidded like they were struggling to stay open. Cheryl's eyes narrowed dangerously when he mentioned body shots. Betty's dress was still in place, but Reggie's shirt was on back to front and Chuck was still shirtless in the kitchen, passed out over the counter. She doubted that either of them would remember it in the morning. 

The image of Betty's mouth on Reggie's bare stomach and chest was enough to send Cheryl into a tailspin. She didn't want Betty's mouth on Reggie, or Chuck, or any other disgusting, unworthy teenage boy that wouldn't appreciate her. Cheryl wanted Betty's sober mouth on Cheryl's mouth, sat by Cheryl's pool, drinking cocktails and cuddling under the sun. 

The sight of plum lipstick stains dotted over Reggie's chest, neck and mouth tore Cheryl in half. One half was furious and wanted to tear Reggie Mantle apart, and the other half was heartbroken, for herself and for Betty. She knew that the other girl would be mortified if she was sober. 

"Go find another innocent, mindless girl to pounce on, Mantle" Cheryl snarled, becoming immediately defensive. Reggie's face fell and Cheryl would do anything to scrub the image of him staring at Betty like she was his lifeline from her mind. He didn't like Betty, he didn't even know her. Take the girl out of the body shot equation, and Cheryl is convinced that any boy would look like that. 

"You can't take her away from us, Cheryl. It's Betty's turn" Chuck slurred from behind Reggie, leaning on the taller boy and looking like he was going to fall asleep, again. Reggie glared at Chuck and shoved him off, and Cheryl decided to ignore that gesture for the sake of her sanity. 

"I don't think so, Clayton. Shouldn't you be studying on weekends now? After all, you can't depend on a football scholarship to get you to college now" Cheryl smirked, a cold sliver of smugness curling its way around her stomach. She tugged on Betty's arm and the mindless girl stumbled her away after Cheryl. There was no way that Betty could go home like this, and Betty's mother would have a heart attack if she knew her daughter was staying at the Blossom household for the night. She sat Betty down on the front porch gently and turned, gesturing for Val to watch Betty. 

She found Veronica quickly enough, the girl was in the kitchen, glaring at something Chuck was saying. Cheryl didn't want to believe that it was about Betty. She watched Veronica usher Betty into the car that was waiting for them, and she smiled when drunk Betty turned to wave at Cheryl. 

Cheryl knew that it wouldnt be an easy task, winning Betty Cooper's heart, but she was damn well going to try. She contemplated her plans over a bottle of expensive whiskey in the kitchen, watching some bumbling brunette lick salt off of Chuck's chest. 

* * *

Cheryl first realised that she had competition for Betty's affections a few weeks later at cheer practice. They were practicing their routine for the first game of the season, and Cheryl had put Betty at the top of the pyramid. She had lost a little bit more weight, which Cheryl was a little concerned about, but nothing too drastic. She was light and she had an amazing smile, so Cheryl decided to put her at the top. 

Cheryl tried to stay focused, but it could not be denied that Betty Cooper had nice legs, and they looked so incredibly long in her gym shorts. When she stretched her arms up, her top lifted a little, giving Cheryl a glimpse of the smooth, toned skin underneath. Cheryl had to pry her eyes away from the girl and she became more and more tense as practice went on, wanting nothing more than to run her hands over every inch of Betty's skin. It was truly intolerable. 

The football team were also practicing for the game, and Cheryl did not miss the lusftful gazes of the boys when one of the girls bent over or did the splits, or when Veronica was doing her trademark solo move. The most concerning was Reggie Mantle. He stared at every girl with a heartbeat, Cheryl knew this much, but he had never looked at them like he was looking at Betty. She was used to seeing a look of lust or hunger on his face, but this one was new. 

His eyes were wide and his mouth was open slightly, and he was staring at Betty like she was the only thing he had ever seen. Cheryl imagined that if an angel had descended from heaven at that very moment to bless Reggie, he wouldn't even notice it was there. He was staring at Betty like there was nothing in the world that would interest him more than her. He was staring at Betty like he loved her. 

The realisation crashed down on Cheryl. Reggie loved Betty, and Cheryl felt like she was going to be sick. She should have known that something was going to happen. Everything Betty did amazed and intrigued Cheryl, and she was foolish to think that the girl wouldn't have the same effect on anyone else. It would be laughable if it didn't hurt so much. Cheryl, the cold, ruthless, uncaring Queen Bee and Reggie, the arrogant, flirtatious, egomaniac, both brought to their knees by someone as delicate as Betty. 

She knew that Reggie flirted with Betty a lot, because Reggie flirted with everyone, but she never realised that it meant anything. Cheryl had figured that Reggie flirted with Betty more than he did every other girl because she was one of the very few girls that had ever resisted his charm. 

It was so easy after the party to pretend that Reggie was only interested in Betty because she put her mouth all over his bare chest and neck, but Cheryl had been watching him closely since then, just in case. Reggie always stared and smiled at Betty when no one else was watching, and it infuriated Cheryl to no end. 

Cheryl, so caught up in staring at Reggie who was staring at Betty, was not watching over the team's practice, and she didn't notice Tara's expression of pain before everything quite literally fell apart. 

They were running over the routine and everything was going smoothly until the girl on the bottom of the pyramid, Tara, shifted her hands wrong and her wrist gave out from the weight. She yelped in pain and the pyramid came tumbling down just as Betty reached the peak of the routine. 

Betty crashed to floor with an alarming crack and Cheryl startled,her head whipping back around and running forward. From what she could tell, Betty was knocked out, and she must have hit her head on the floor on when she landed. Veronica screamed Betty's name and reached the girl before Cheryl could, grabbing her head and cradling it in her arms. 

Cheryl's throat felt tight and every muscle in her body seemed to freeze. She couldn't hear the other girls screaming, and she didn't hear Reggie shouting Betty's name or hear his footsteps as he ran forward, with Archie close behind. All she could see was Veronica, shaking and cradling Betty's body to hers like she didn't ever want to let go. 

"Betty! Come on, Bets, wake up" Veronica whispered frantically and Cheryl composed herself. Personal feelings aside, this was her team and a member was hurt. 

"Everybody get out of the way!" she ordered and the crowd of girls parted like the red sea. Tara shuffled over to her, cradling her wrist and staring at Betty's limp body with a pale expression. 

"Oh God, I'm so sorry, Cheryl. My wrist just-" Tara started and Cheryl whipped her head around to glare at her. Tara withered under the intense gaze and slunk back into the crowd. 

"You should have been more careful, Tara! I'm taking you out of the pyramid. Go the nurse's office!" Cheryl snapped and no one dared disobey her. She didn't watch the girl leave, instead she focused her attention back on Betty and Veronica. 

"Betty? Can you hear me? Wake up, please, please, please" Veronica begged and Cheryl felt a wave of icy realisation wash over her for the second time that day. Veronica was terrified, but the expression on her face went far beyond friendly concern. Cheryl felt a childish tug at her chest. She liked Betty first. It wasn't fair. Reggie and Veronica had no right to do this. 

_Veronica has been her best friend for two years, and Reggie has been friends with Betty since they were kids. They've probably liked her for years longer than you ever_ \- Cheryl shut her thoughts down and knelt on the floor next to Betty, swatting Veronica's hands away. 

"Betty, you need to wake up. Betty!" Cheryl knew that simply ordering Betty to wake up wouldn't work, but she didn't know what else to do. How else do you make someone do what you want? She tells them, they do it. She can only hope that Betty's subconcious is listening to her. 

"Move! Move!" Coach Clayton yelled out and before Cheryl could protest or tear Reggie's hands off of Betty, he was gently lifting her into his arms and darting off with Coach behind him, probably to the nurse's office. 

Cheryl tried to control her breathing, but she must have failed, because when she lifted her eyes from the ground, Veronica's dark eyes were boring into hers. The other girl seemed to freeze for a second, before she directed the most hateful glare that Cheryl had ever seen at her. Cheryl had only seen Veronica give her that look once before, and it was in the hallway the previous week, when Cheryl had offered Betty her scarf and a ride home because it was cold. 

Cheryl returned the look and unseen battle lines had been drawn. Cheryl was always the type of girl that played to win. She thought of Veronica and Betty's close friendship, and she thought of Reggie smirking down at a blushing Betty in class. She huffed and stood up, flicking her hair over her shoulder. 

"Everyone back to work!" 

Game on. 

* * *

Cheryl, as the captain of the cheer team, got an automatic seat with the stars of the football team at a booth in Pop Tate's after the game. Only the most popular people in school got to sit in that booth. It was Cheryl, Moose, Chuck, Reggie, and two girls from the cheer team. 

Archie had a place at the table if he wanted it, but he chose to sit in a booth with Veronica, Betty and Jughead. Cheryl had invited Betty to sit with them too, but the blonde girl had declined, as politeas ever, and promised that she would sit with them after their next win. Cheryl had debated sitting at their table with them, but she had a role as the cheer captain, and that role meant that she had to been seen with the football team. 

Chuck was speaking to one of the girls on the team, whispering in her ear, and he had his arm slung over her shoulder. Cheryl knew from the blush on her face that she was drinking in all his attention, and would more than likely end up in the backseat of his car with him. That's usually how things went with Chuck anyway. Cheryl wondered how he still managed to get girls after he was taken off of the football team and was publicly humiliated a mere two years ago.

Moose was inhaling his food at an alarming rate. He had three cheeseburgers, a large basket of fries, a side of chicken wings and an ice cream for afterwards. Cheryl really did not know how he kept in such good shape when he ate enough food for a small country on a daily basis. She'd hate to think of how much he ate at Thanksgiving. 

The other girl from the team, Melissa, was talking to Cheryl about her crush on Archie Andrews. Cheryl rolled her eyes, she honestly did not understand the appeal. Archie was good looking, in a charming, boyish sort of way, but he definitely wasn't the best looking guy in school. Cheryl hated to admit that Reggie held that title (and he knew it too). Archie was sweet and kind, but Cheryl honestly just found the boy boring. He was so dreadfully dull sometimes that Cheryl wondered how his friends could sit and have full conversations with him. 

Cheryl wasn't listening to Melissa, she was watching Reggie. He was staring at a point behind her, in the direction of the counter. Cheryl knew without turning around that Betty was there, probably ordering herself one of those sickly banoffee shakes that she loves so much. Reggie seemed hesitant for a minute before he stood up and walked in that direction. Cheryl tensed and made a move to stand up too. She wasn't sure what she would do or say when she got there, but she knew that she had to stop Reggie talking to Betty. 

She didn't even get to fully stand up before another boy from the football team, Peter, walked over to their table. Peter was attractive, with tanned skin and ruffled brown hair, and he had striking blue eyes. His eyes were a few shades darker than Betty's, and Cheryl didn't find them half as enchanting, but she supposed they were rather nice. Peter sat across from her and smiled with his teeth showing. He had a nice smile, Cheryl would give that to him. 

"Hey Cheryl, did you have a good time at the match?" he asked and Cheryl bit back a cruel comment. _No, you dumbass, I'm wearing a short skirt and tight top in winter and it was raining, I did not have a good time.  
_

"Yes, I did. Winning made the night even better" Cheryl smiled slowly, and she watched as Peter's eyes fell to her mouth. 

"Did you really doubt that we would? Moose was knocking people down like they were bowling pins, and Reggie dominated the field tonight!" Peter continued to ramble on about the game and its workings for a few minutes, as though Cheryl had never been to a football match in her life. Cheryl felt her irritation growing but she kept her perfect smile in place, nodding occasionally and throwing the odd, "Oh wow" or "Yeah" into the conversation to make him think she was listening. 

Betty's melodic laughter echoed through the diner and Cheryl resisted the urge to turn towards the wonderful sound, knowing that Reggie was the one that caused it. 

"What are you dong next weekend, Bets? For the Christmas market?" Cheryl didn't know who she hated more. Reggie, for asking Betty out or Peter, for distracting Cheryl from her task of stopping him in the first place. She felt her breathing start to hitch as she waited for Betty's answer, completely ignoring Peter who was so oblivious that he didn't realise that Cheryl wasn't smiling anymore. 

"I have a feeling I'm about to find out" she could almost picture Betty's teasing smile, and Cheryl's chest started to ache. Out of all the people in the world that she could have lost Betty to, and it just had to be Reggie Mantle. Peter was still talking, and Cheryl needed someone, anyone, to distract her from the awful pain in her chest. 

She shook away her thoughts of Betty and smiled at Peter again, leaning over the table and tracing his muscular arm with her finger, biting her lip and fluttering her eyelashes with it. She felt ridiculous, but she knew that boys ate it up when she did that. 

"Peter, how about we get out of here, and you can teach me just how good a game you can play?" Cheryl ran her tongue over her top lip and Peter looked startled, like a twelve year old boy discovering porn for the first time. Peter started to nod vigorously and Cheryl forced herself to smile through the pain, the way her mother taught her to. If Jason were here, he would remind her that she has a reputation to keep, and personal feelings got in the way of that. 

"Yes, yeah, I- yeah" Cheryl grabbed his hand, pulling him in the direction of the door. She noticed Veronica getting up to leave as well, and she knew that this was just as hard on her as it was on Cheryl, if not worse. Veronica would be the one that Betty went to talk about her date, and she knew that if she was in the other girl's position, she wouldn't be able to take it. 

"Where you going?" Reggie asked as he passed them, a stupidly happy grin on his face. Cheryl wanted to slap the expression right off of his face. Cheryl didn't answer, and she thinks that she shocked Peter speechless as she dragged him out of the diner. 

"Get some, Petey!" Reggie hollered after them and Cheryl  was seething. When Peter was awkwardly moving against her later in the night, she couldn't look him in the eyes, in the fear that she would see a shade of blue that was much lighter his. 

* * *

Cheryl watched from across the hall as Betty rested against the lockers, twisting a piece of hair between her fingers before tucking the stray strand behind her ear. Reggie was leaning on the lockers too, arm above Betty's head and a dopey grin on his face. They had been dating for just over a month now. To an outsider, that would seem like a very short and insignificant amount of time, but everyone at Riverdale knew Reggie's most serious relationship lasted just over a week. He was more of a casual hook up, no strings attached, friends with benefits kind of guy. 

Which is probably why his relationship with Betty threw everyone off guard. People thought it was a joke or a prank at first, but more time passed and Reggie seemed to be falling even harder every day. Cheryl knew that some of the football team expected him to put Betty in the infamous playbook (Cheryl knew the slimy miscreants had made another one just as soon as the first was destroyed), and Reggie had immediately refused. Cheryl had to give him a point for that, no matter how much she hated it. 

Cheryl had been keeping an eye on Veronica, and she noticed that the other girl paled a little bit when she saw Reggie and Betty acting smitten and cute. Veronica always steered the topic of conversation away from the happy couple, and she knew that the raven haired girl was barely holding it together whenever Betty gushed about Reggie. 

_"We had so much fun at the carnival, Ronnie. He must have spent a fortune on the ring toss just trying to win me the biggest teddy bear. You should have seen the guy's face when Reg won!"_ Cheryl overheard by the lockers and she made a point of slamming hers as hard as she could. 

_"Reggie totally sucks at bowling, he tried to say that he was letting me win, but he barely managed to knock over a pin each turn"_ Betty said to Veronica at cheer practice after their date the previous night, and Cheryl made Betty run laps for distracting Veronica. Veronica looked almost grateful. 

_"It sounds so silly because we were just in a booth at Pop's, but I have never felt happier than that night, Ron, I really really like him"_ Cheryl whipped around at her desk and hissed at Betty that some people are trying to learn in class, and to save the chit chat for their sleepovers. 

She knew how Veronica felt about Betty, and Cheryl wasn't too suprised. She couldn't imagine being Betty's best friend and spending every single day with her and not loving her. She knew how Reggie felt, because the pair of them broadcasted their feelings all over the school with their laughter and their hand holding and their hello-goodbye kisses. 

She even had an inkling that Archie was seeing the light, if the way he glared at Reggie was any indication. But Jughead Jones was someone that Cheryl did not see coming. He didn't say much, not to Cheryl at least, but he didn't have to. 

Cheryl's mother always said that you can see it in a boy's smile when he loves you, and there was no doubting the way Jughead felt after what she saw in the Blue and Gold office. 

She came by with sandwiches and a slice of raspberry cheescake for Betty, she thought that maybe they could have lunch together considering all of Betty's free time outside of school was occupied by Reggie. Cheryl would never admit to anyone (aside from maybe Josie) that she missed spending time with Betty. They had become such good friends, and Cheryl wasn't ready to sacrifice the soft, warm feeling that being with Betty induced. She stopped abruptly when she got to the door and peered through the window. 

Betty was talking about the upcoming article and how she had no time to finish it before the deadline on Thursday, and how she would age thirty years with the amount of bags under her eyes. She was shuffling through the array of drafts and notes on her desk. 

"I mean, I already feel like a cougar considering Reg is two months younger than me, I don't need to look like one too" Betty joked, and Cheryl was taken back by the joyful laughter that erupted from Jughead. She had never actually seen the brooding boy smile at anyone before, and now he was laughing and smiling at Betty Cooper like she was the funniest thing on the planet. 

His smile was wide and bright, but there was a softness in his curled lips and the crinkles by his eyes. He directed his now shy smile down at his papers, and Cheryl felt an overwhelming affection for Betty. The girl had so much light in her that she cracked through the depressing aura around a long lost member of the Addams family. 

Cheryl let out a small exhale before clicking her heels loudly, pushing the door open. As soon as she stepped in the room, Betty's smile brightened and Jughead's slipped from his face. Cheryl walked over and placed the food on Betty's desk. 

"I felt bad that you are always so busy in here, so I brought you some lunch" Cheryl smiled and Betty nodded gratefully. Jughead scoffed from behind them. 

"If you felt that bad, you wouldn't interrupt her hard work" Jughead snarked and Cheryl whirled around, making sure to look him over with disapproval. 

"Make yourself sparce, Grey Goblin, we need girl time" Cheryl smirked and Jughead opened his mouth to retaliate before Betty interrupted him. 

"It's okay, Juggie. I can handle the rest of the work from here" Betty said reassuringly and Jughead held Cheryl's gaze for a moment, coming to an understanding, before nodding to Betty. 

"I'll see you tomorrow, Bets" Jughead seemed reluctant to leave the room but Cheryl ushered him out and shut the door behind him, spinning to face Betty with a content sigh. 

"So, you need to ditch Mantle this weekend, we're getting manipedi's on me" 

* * *

She had just about enough of all this pathetic pining. She had been waiting weeks for the perfect moment to make her move on Betty. She had broken up with Reggie a few weeks ago and Cheryl was biding her time, she wanted Betty but she had to be sure that Betty wanted her back. She didn't want to jeopardise their friendship if the risk didn't pay off. 

However, the longer she waited, the more likely it became that her competition would try to make a move too. Veronica, Jughead and Archie were all sending Betty longing looks daily, and Cheryl was getting very anxious. Reggie was out of the game, she doubts that he'd try to get back with Betty after she broke up with him. _One down, three to go_ , Cheryl mused.

The dance was in two weeks, and Cheryl could sense that Archie was gearing himself up to ask Betty. She needed to deter him somehow until Cheryl could swoop in and make her move. The perfect opportunity came when she ran into Archie at Pop Tate's and they were both waiting for an order. Cheryl glanced over at the red haired boy, and moved a little closer to him.

"She won't say yes" Cheryl started and Archie looked confused, checking to see if anyone was behind him before he knew that Cheryl was speaking to him.

"What?" he asked and Cheryl jutted her bottom lip out in a teasing way.

"Betty. She won't say yes. You were going to ask her to the dance right? What makes you think she'll want to go with you after the way you've treated her in the past? She was never anything more than your friend, and then she accepted that and moved on. After all the pain you've put her through, do you really think she'll trust you enough to go with you now?" Cheryl asked, making her eyes wider to appear more innocent and curious. She saw Archie's jaw tense and his hands started shaking.

"I love her. It just took me a while to realise _how_ I loved her, that's all. Betty feels the same, one boyfriend won't change that" Archie argued and Cheryl raised an eyebrow, inspecting her nails. Archie was so clueless, it was like he didn't even realise how many people were willing to challenge him for a place in Betty's heart.

"Won't it? Betty deserves better than being second best, we both know that. You're not good enough for her" Cheryl smirked and she knew that she hit a soft spot. Betty had told her all about what Archie said that night at the dance in sophomore year, about how she was perfect and he didn't deserve her and how he wasn't good enough. Arche's face flushed with anger but he composed himself, collecting his order from Pop and turning to Cheryl, leaning in close.

"I know I'm not good enough for her, Cheryl, but neither are you. Betty deserves better than a _bully_ " Archie hissed and Cheryl felt her breath hitch and a sharp pain in her chest as he walked away, slamming the door behind him.

He was right, she knew that much. She had been so cruel to Betty, to everyone, in the past. She was selfish and entitled and thought that having money made her superior to everyone else. She was angry that Jason loved Polly and he ended up hurting her and himself, and she took it out on Betty in the most awful ways.

It flashed before her eyes, the way she treated Betty. She saw Betty's face the night she made Archie and Veronica go in the closet, teary eyed and broken. She saw the blood on Betty's palms when she was taunting her during cheer tryouts. She saw the pain in Betty's eyes when Cheryl accused her sister of killing Jason. She had treated Betty so badly. She wanted the light inside her to burn out, when it was no Cheryl's favourite thing about her. She wanted Betty to be in as much pain as she was when Jason died.

Cheryl gasped, feeling tears well in her eyes, and she fled Pop's, ignoring the shouts behind her that she had forgotten her order. She rushed to her car and slammed her car door as she jumped into the driver's seat. She rested her forehead on the steering wheel, and Cheryl Blossom began to sob. Every ounce of pain in her body was being spilled out, and every flicker of hate she had for Veronica, Archie, Jughead and Reggie had been snuffed out.

They all deserved her. They were all good to her, and they supported her, and they cherished her for years before Cheryl would even look her way twice. Even if by some miracle Betty felt the way she did, Cheryl could never be with her. She couldn't handle the thought of tainting Betty, twisting and hurting her until she was dull and broken and everything lovely about her was gone. Cheryl destroyed everything she touched. Maybe it ran in her blood.

There was a gentle knock on her window, followed by a worried, "Cheryl?"

"Go away!" Cheryl snarled, summoning the fraction of ice that Betty Cooper had not yet managed to melt. Betty frowned and knocked again.

"Cheryl, are you okay?" she didn't receive an answer, so Betty moved to the passenger side on the car and slid into the seat, reaching over and enveloping Cheryl in her arms.

"What's wrong? Is this about Jason?" Betty looked so hurt and so concerned, and Cheryl hated how much empathy the other girl had. All it would do is bring her heartache. Cheryl had to let Betty go before she ruined her, the way she ruins everything. The way Jason ruined Polly. The only way she knew how to do that was to be cruel, it was what she was good at, after all.

"No, you bumbling idiot, this is not about Jason. This is about you. All you ever do is hover around me like a God damn fly! You're still the same little girl, desperate for attention, that you were in freshman year. It's pathetic" Cheryl had to hone every ounce of hate and anger and pain in her body to stop herself from falling apart.

Betty was silent, and every second that passed, Cheryl felt the guilt creeping its way from her stomach, curling around her heart, and settling in her throat. Betty shook her head.

"No. You don't get to do this, Cheryl. Not now. Not to me. You don't get to push me away" Betty said, looking her in the eye and refusing to break. Cheryl didn't know whether to be proud of her or irritated with her.

"You were the one that befriended me. You were the one that asked me to come for milkshakes, or manipedi's, or shopping sprees at the mall. You did that, Cheryl, not me. I don't deserve this" Betty continued when it became clear that the other girl wouldn't speak.

"Why are you doing this?" Betty whispered after another unbearably long silence, and Cheryl couldn't contain it anymore.

"I can't be around you, Betty! I need to be the cold, harsh, bitchy queen bee that I always was, that's the only way I know how to survive. That's who I am, and then you come along and you're gentle, and sweet, and strong, and I cannot be around you without questioning everything that I am and everything that I do because people love you, Betty, I love you, and all I do is hurt people and scare them and manipulate them!" Cheryl said on a tirade and Betty was stunned into silence.

"Cheryl, I-"

"When I'm around you, I want to be a better person, someone that you would be proud of, but I'm terrified that you making me lighter comes at the cost of me making you darker"

"Cheryl, please will you just-"

"I'd destroy you, Betty. That's what Blossoms do. We find something good and we tear it apart. Jason-"

"Cheryl! Shut up and listen to me!" Betty shouted and Cheryl froze, turning to look at the blonde girl. Betty, sensing that Cheryl was listening, leaned over to grab her hand softly.

"I am not some all encompassing light, Cheryl. I've done bad things. And I know that you're not the heartless ice queen that everyone thinks you are. You're considerate when it counts, and to the people that matter. Us being together won't be perfect, because I'm not perfect, but I think we'd get pretty damn close" Cheryl felt her heart thudding in her chest, and she wondered if Betty could hear it in the quiet car.

"That's okay, I'm perfect enough for both of us" Cheryl said tentatively after a few moment, shifting slightly closer. Betty laughed. A genuine, whole hearted, beautiful laugh that made Cheryl's heart swell. Cheryl, feeling much more confident than a few minutes ago, leaned over and planted her cherry red lips over Betty's, and Cheryl had never felt more at home than in a sleek, red convertable with Betty Cooper.

She wonders if all Cooper girls had this affect on the Blossoms, and she figures that she can't really blame Jason if that's the case.

* * *

Two weeks later, Cheryl and Betty walk through the doors of the gym, arms looped together and smiling. Betty's smile was shy but loving, and Cheryl's was wide and just a little smug. Just a little. The girls looked like a dream together. Cheryl was looked divine in a stunning gold dress, and Betty was wearing a deep purple dress, to Cheryl's delight.

Archie was stood at the punch bowl with Jughead, watching the beautiful pair as Cheryl pulled Betty to the dancefloor. Josie walked over and poured herself a cup, before standing next to Archie.

"You may not see it yet, but they're good for each other" Josie said and Archie didn't want to talk about it. Not to anyone, let alone Cheryl's best friend.

"I still think she deserves better" Archie scratched at his plate of food and Josie stared at him with narrowed eyes before sighing.

"Doesn't matter what you think, Andrews. The only person that gets to decide what's good for Betty is Betty, and she seems to think Cheryl is perfectly good enough for her. Unless of course, you want to question her judgement" Archie knew that it would be a very bad idea to do so, because Josie was staring him down like they were in an old western movie.

"I just want her to be happy" Archie sighed with resignation, "And if Cheryl makes her happy then I'm not going to stand in the way of that. Doesn't mean I agree with her choice, but it is what it is" he shrugged and Josie deemed it an acceptable answer, moving back over to where the Pussycats were sitting.

"You're not alone. We're all hurt over it" Jughead nudged Archie's shoulder with his comfortingly and guided his friend back to the table. Archie gulped his drink before the confusion dawned and he tore his eyes away form Betty for the first time that night, turning to his friend.

"Hold up. Who's 'we'?"


End file.
